Not applicable.
The present invention relates to a pico pay phone system (PPS). The present invention will allow multiple wireless devices to access a single pay phone or other public kiosk communication unit designed to detect and recognize multiple wireless service providers"" signals and protocols at the same time. In particular, the invention is directed to services provided by either public communication companies, such as SWBT or GTE, or kiosk companies, such as Air Touch, located in airports and large hotels along with private company services, such as offered by DirectTV and ATandT Cable (formally TCI). The preferred embodiment has a minimum of four types of wireless signaling detection capabilities such as Infrared, 900 Mhz, 1.8 Ghz and one other FCC-approved signaling detection capability plus the frequency of the original wireless specialty device if the proximity system already has such a design (for example in the case of Digital Cable Systems there is a remote control unit). For each of the distinct communication capabilities, the PPS has an automatic detection system to recognize both the type of service and service provider protocols and wireless device features. The system has wireless base station multiple channel capability on the input side for each of the types of signals (Infrared, 900 Mhz, 1.8 Ghz, etc.) and multiple channel time division multiplex (TDM) capability on the output side using a standard high speed switch connected to, for example, a T1 line (or several T1 lines) such as used in most office buildings or network service provider systems today. Thus, a single unit can easily service several hundred phones simultaneously for, for example, $0.35 cents each. This will potentially bring in several thousand dollars a day per phone or kiosk instead of less than a hundred dollars a day for existing pay phones and kiosks. In addition, the preferred embodiment has a biometrics recognition system for ID and credit transaction services. The PPS can also issue access numbers to people so they do not have to stand in line and wait to access the service when they have to pay real money because they are not recognized by the credit authorization system of the Invention.
The Proximity Authorization Transaction System (PATAS) invention is first directed to a general multiple signal frequency transceiver transaction unit (also referred to herein as a multiple channel wireless transceiver) designed to operate with most of the wireless device frequency signal types approved by the FCC for the digital cell phone, pager, and Infrared devices in use today and that will be in use during the next 10 years that can be used or adapted to most any proximity system. Then descriptions of adapting PATAS for each of the more specific proximity systems (also referred to herein as proximity service units) are provided, along with the inclusion of the cross features shared by some of the systems, such as the incorporation of the PPS invention into an ATM unit along with other ATM features.
The specific improved proximity systems include, but are not limited to, proximity systems such as (1) vehicle toll systems (2) subway and bus systems, (3) vehicle systems, (4) ATM systems, (5) buildings and hotel systems, (6) home access systems (7) garage door systems, (8) parking lot systems (9) parking meter systems, (10) store checkout systems, (11) gas dispensing systems (12) mobile transportation credit systems and (13) vending machine systems, and (14) large public or private facility systems, such as entertainment facilities, that network any combination of the proximity systems (1) through (13) together to have an integrated facility management system. For example, the entertainment facility could be a stadium having ATM systems, store checkout systems, parking lot systems, parking meters systems, and vending machine systems which are networked and integrated together such that a consumer need only use a wireless device as discussed herein to activate and thereby receive each of these services or goods.
The present invention also relates to a master proximity signaling unit MPSU (also referred to herein as a proximity authorization unit). The MPSU is an alternative to having to pay for high power wireless communication devices and/or services, such as a cell phone or pager or hand held computer with wireless communication features just to get the convenience of a single device handling most of the proximity services people use in their daily lives. The MPSU incorporates multiple low power type signaling capability into a low cost device specifically designed to allow all the multiple proximity services authorization devices to be incorporated into a single unit. The single unit can deliver the information to the proximity service provider machine (also referred to herein as a proximity service unit) in a much simpler and more convenient manner than done with existing devices and at less cost. In addition the MPSU can be used to communicate over local pico payphone networks as described in the application (Pico Phone). Thus the Invention described herein allows the consumer to have a very inexpensive proximity authorization unit to replace the 10 to 20 devices and cards now required and that also can serve as an inexpensive communication device without the wireless service provider costs attached. In essence the invention can replace all the cards, keys, signaling devices, and communication devices with a single unit that is lightweight and easy to carry.